


New Dawn

by banbanabas



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: College AU, Edelthea Secret Valentines Exchange (Fire Emblem), F/F, Modern AU, it's fluff time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22936855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banbanabas/pseuds/banbanabas
Summary: Dorothea calls Edelgard up for an early-ish morning coffee date.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 5
Kudos: 76
Collections: 2020 Edelthea Secret Valentines Exchange





	New Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> this is for Max, @phrenotobe on tumblr! prompt: "Modern College AU. Dorothea meets Edelgard for coffee in a peaceful future."
> 
> Happy Edelthea Valentines, and I hope you enjoy!!

“Coffee at the Mockingbird, in an hour?”

If Edelgard had been more awake, she would’ve asked Dorothea to reschedule. She had _just_ finished a late-evening final the day before, and 9am felt way too early to be woken up by a phone call. But this was Dorothea, who she loved dearly and would move mountains for. So Edelgard responded, quite eloquently, “Hrng.”

She heard Dorothea’s laughter in her ear. “You were still asleep, weren’t you?”

“I don’t know how you’re so awake,” Edelgard grumbled. “You had an exam yesterday, too.”

Dorothea sighed. “Yes, well, I took a page out of _your_ book and rose early. Isn’t that what you always say? Early birds and worms and all that jazz?”

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “If you’re trying to convince me to get out of bed, it’s not working.”

“I’ll buy you a blueberry scone,” Dorothea said, voice lilting.

That was enough to tempt her. “...Give me an hour and a half.”

“Lovely. See you, Edie!”

///

The Mockingbird was a 10 minute walk from Edelgard’s apartment, and if she walked 10 minutes further, she’d be at Dorothea’s. This was such a convenient (and cozy) spot for dates that, whenever Edelgard wasn’t tied down with homework and Dorothea wasn’t at vocal training, they’d often end up lounging and chatting here for hours, long after their cups were empty. Edelgard sighed as she swung the glass door open and got in line to order. She would miss it here.

In a week, she would be a graduate of Garreg Mach University. Dorothea would, too. It seemed all too soon. She felt the bittersweet ache of lost time gnawing at her heart, telling her she should have done more while all her friends were in one place. But very soon, she would move hundreds of miles away to start law school in Enbarr, a new city filled with unfamiliar faces. It was exciting… and terrifying.

She didn’t want to think about that right now, though. No use in moping around when she could still spend time with everyone. As if on cue, she felt someone step close behind her. She didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Dorothea - she recognized the scent of her perfume. “Hey, Dot,” Edelgard said, shooting a grin over her shoulder.

“Hey, Edie,” Dorothea said, and she leaned over to press a quick kiss to Edelgard’s cheek. “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”

Even after so many years with Dorothea, Edelgard still got flustered at her ease with physical affection in public. She felt her cheeks burn. “Of course,” she said. “But I’m still expecting the scone.”

“You know I wouldn’t let you down,” Dorothea said with a wink, and she swept in front of Edelgard to order for the both of them.

They found a table in the back corner of the shop, one of the few not occupied by students in a study crunch. “You only have one more test, right?” Edelgard asked as she slid into the chair opposite Dorothea.

“Mmhm, on Friday. I’m not too worried about it,” she said with a shrug. “I cannot _wait_ to be done with exams forever.”

Edelgard felt her worries bubbling up again, but she quickly tamped them down. “Wish I could say the same,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

“My dearest Edie, I’m afraid you did this to yourself.” Dorothea laughed, shaking her head, and then patted Edelgard’s hand. “But I’m excited for you. You’re going to be a fantastic lawyer. Especially if you play up the debate skills you use to shut down Ferdinand every time he gets on an ego trip.”

Edelgard snorted at the thought of their redheaded braggart friend. “I only do what’s necessary,” she said. “And he’s much better about it now than in freshman year.”

“You, defending Ferdie? What dost mine ears hear?” Dorothea said with a touch of drama, cupping her hand around her ear and leaning forward.

Edelgard couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but Dorothea was right. She normally wouldn’t hesitate to joke about Ferdinand a little, but today, as hard as she tried, she couldn’t shake that air of sentimentality. “Maybe I’m just going to miss him.”

At that, Dorothea’s smile went from happy to wistful. She sighed. “You know, I will too. I’m gonna miss everyone. What are we going to do without drunk painting nights with Bernie and Petra?”

“Or all the pictures of Linhardt sleeping in class?”

“Or Caspar’s ragers?”

“Okay, we could do with a few less of those, probably,” Edelgard said, wincing at the memories. Dorothea snorted.

They went quiet for a moment. Edelgard felt herself sag a little in her seat, and she reached forward to take Dorothea’s hand. “Dorothea, I just want to say… I’m going to miss living so close to you.”

“Edie…”

Edelgard stared at the table, steeling herself. “It’s been so easy, just walking down the street whenever I want to see you,” she continued. “I don’t know how I’m going to get used to it. Enbarr will be great, but… it won’t be the same without you. I’m just going to miss you, Dot. A lot.”

The look Dorothea gave her was unreadable: brows furrowed, and she was frowning, but there was a spark in her eye that confused the hell out of Edelgard. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Edelgard asked, squinting.

Dorothea took a deep breath, and she fished her phone out of her purse. “I would say I’m going to miss you, too, Edie,” Dorothea said with a shark-toothed grin as she nudged the phone across the table toward Edelgard, “though that seems a little unnecessary now.”

Unnecessary? Edelgard stared at the phone screen in confusion, until she realized she was looking at a very long, very detailed email. In very small font. She mumbled the words aloud as she read, “Rehearsal… Working under Manuela Casagranda… Wait. Dorothea. Is this from… the Mittelfrank Opera Company? In Enbarr?”

Dorothea nodded. “Keep reading.”

She read. And her jaw dropped. “Oh! Oh, my God! An acceptance letter? _They casted you?_ ”

“I just got the call this morning, right before I called you,” Dorothea said. She squeezed her hand, and Edelgard squeezed back, eyes lighting up at how wide Dorothea was smiling. “Never in a million years did I think I’d get the part, but it was a new show, and they wanted some new faces, and I might just be an understudy for now, but it’s something! It’s a start!”

“‘A start’? Don’t undersell yourself, Dorothea, this is _amazing_ ,” Edelgard said, nearly shaking in her seat. She gave up sitting, then, and shot to her feet, placing both hands on Dorothea’s shoulders. “Congratulations! You got a role so fast, and… In Enbarr. You’re going to be in Enbarr.” She shook her head in disbelief, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

“I start in a month. So you’ll have to get by without me for a little while,” Dorothea said coyly.

Edelgard didn’t bother with a retort, instead opting to throw her arms around Dorothea’s neck and hold her close. “I love you,” she murmured into her hair, just loudly enough for Dorothea to hear.

“Love you, too.” Dorothea sighed. “I’m glad we don’t have to do video call dates all the time. You would never sit still long enough.”

“God, you’re right,” Edelgard said, laughing. She pulled away to look Dorothea in the eye. “We’d better get an apartment together, as soon as possible. Minimize the video calls.”

Dorothea’s brows shot up, and she fanned herself in mock surprise. “My, my, moving so fast all of a sudden, Edie!”

“You’re a bad influence,” Edelgard said, grinning as she pulled Dorothea to her feet. “Now, come on, we need to celebrate you getting casted.”

“How so?”

“Wine night at my place, in your honor,” Edelgard said. She took Dorothea’s hand (a little brazen for her, but she was feeling bolder all of a sudden) and led her out of the Mockingbird. “And perhaps a you and me afternoon at my place, also in your honor?”

She looked over to Dorothea, who was actually _blushing_ \- Edelgard loved seeing the dusting of red on her cheeks. Dorothea giggled. “Does ‘you and me afternoon’ mean what I think it means?”

“You know it.”

“Then yes, please, with fervor!”

They both laughed and walked home together, with a promise of the future in their hands.


End file.
